Author: migrant

Back in the world of art

Now is the time for the biennial NZ art festival.

We ahve been along in previous years, though with varied intensity. The rate limiting step can be the cost. At about $100 per event on average, the dollars can soon add up.

Last week, with Eleanor away, Isaac on school camp and Joe on a geography field-trip,  Sara and I were taken back to the days of freedom. Just like the old days, before children,  we were able to do as we pleased, and so went to see “Sixteen”. They are a UK choral group, and on the night sang songs by Handel, based on biblical  texts in Latin! Wow you are thinking. It was good when they performed as the group, but it worked less well when a soloist mostly performed. I was a little disappointed with the sound of the orchestra, as the nature of the music seems to dictate that the music is soft to accompany the singers, when I am used to, ands expecting, a bit more oomph.

Anyway, life is about experimentation, and it was worth the effort. A lovely night out.

Moving on

So things have moved on.
Eleanor is out of the house and Wellington is quieter for it.

 
It sounds as if She is having a great time so far. “O” week which translates into freshers week for the old fashioned amongst us was full of activities allowing her to see her new environment and meet some new people. It was good even though she was barred from some events as she haas not crossed the 18 years old barrier.
Work has started this week-maybe a shock to the system after the fun. Apparently, there is so much to read! The cull from law will be severe-only top 20% to progress-something to focus the mind I suppose.
We are in touch by text, phone and Skype. Maybe we will be communicating more than when she officially lived at home!

Speedway revisited

A return visit yesterday to see the street salons and the modified stock cars.  Great fun again to take in the petrol head atmosphere. Great noise and excitement as well as the dirt that fills your eyes and throat. An all male affair this time as Sara was poorly. Murray and Dylan came along for the ride too.

Will keep an eye on the upcoming events.

NCEA

For NCEA read A levels and GCSEs. 

It has been an intense study and exam period in this house of late.

Last week the results came out for Joe and Eleanor. None of this letter in the post or going down to the school to see the results. It is now all online off course.

Anyway we are a happy family. Joseph passed level 1 NCEA (or is that past?). He did well in his exams, passing all bar one having done rather less well than that in the mocks! So well done to Joe, we are very pleased.

Eleanor passed level 3 with excellence-a great achievement. This puts her in the top 3% or so of candidates. She also achieved excellence in English  and German-a new way of presenting results this year. She earned enough points to be accepted for her conjoint degree at Auckland-Law and BA-doing German, politics and philosophy. Lots of work, many years and lots of costs ahead.

Well done Eleanor. we are very proud of you.

Here’s to them.

Return to Golf

Saturday involved a return to swinging on home soil.

I played golf in New Zealand for the first time in about 4 years I think. I played with Murray, a much better piayer than me, at Manor Park. In recent years I have played rarely and it would seem overseas. It make me sound like a jet setter.

Anyway, having come to the realisation that my clubs are rubbish, I borrowed his spare set, as I have done whenever I have played recently. I have played reasonably well on previous occasions, better than usual, when playing with other people’s ‘hand-me-downs’, so I continued the trend. Anyway, I continued to unable to putt throughout the afternoon, but after  a few holes the irons were swinging well and the 5 wood working well off the tee. I broke 100-good for me, and had a good time.

I am sure I will be out there again. I think we will be off to Karori next. May need to invest in some clubs. My current set are the same age as Eleanor, and are not nearly as good as she is!

Back from the holiday trip

This summer we have been on the road. I am not sure that the car will be able to manage another one.

We left Wellington on the 27th in the early hours to go to Rotorua first for the unveiling ceremony for Stacy.

From there we spent a few days in Raglan, centre of the surf dude culture. I passed us by really. However, the house was good, we read books, ran and enjoyed the beach and videos. We also played a new game that has become a family winner- Balderdash. It is a board version of ‘Call my bluff’.

From there we travelled north and spent most of our time in the Bay of Islands. We stayed in good accommodation, with resident chucks, sheep and alpacas.  The weather was good though we did allow Isaac to be very sunburned! Terrible parents. We found a good beach where the boogie boards were out. Matauri bay is where the Rainbow Warrior wreck has been sunk to act as a diving interest.

We revisited the ‘Cream Trip’ around the Bay of Islands-17 years later. It was still good. The children enjoyed the ‘boom netting’ as well as the dolphins. Sara loved the dolphins.

We of course went to Waitangi where the treaty was signed between the British and Maori in 1840.

We went to Cape Reinga. Beautiful scenery. Sara enjoyed watching me injury myself on the huge sand dunes. The idea is to surf the dunes. I tried to dive onto the board and race down the dune. I missed and landed on my face sending painful shudders through my body. Sara enjoyed my pain and the vision of me covered in sand. It was another reminder of the aging body attached to the mind of a stupid youth.

Out accommodation at Pukenui was poor to say the least. We left after one night instead of three and drove south in the pouring rain. Hamilton has never looked so appealing.